


6 - it made me so happy, As ordinary things often do

by saltysarah



Series: For I Still Live [8]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bullshit Biology, Developing Relationship, Discussions of Male Pregnancy, Original Mandalorian Characters - Freeform, Other, Politics, Relationship Negotiation, Unrepentant Fluff, parenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-19
Updated: 2021-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-28 11:28:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30138888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saltysarah/pseuds/saltysarah
Summary: Children have an unexpected power to bring people together,Mando’adknow this better than anyone. You’d think they’d be more prepared (they really, really weren’t).This takes place after 4.
Relationships: Jaster Mereel/Khal the Mandalorian (OC)
Series: For I Still Live [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2193600
Comments: 6
Kudos: 148





	6 - it made me so happy, As ordinary things often do

**Author's Note:**

> The title is taken from Wendy Cope’s poem, The Orange.

_Ben ducked his head shyly, glancing between them._

_“Maybe it’s something I’m missing, but I don’t understand why I have to choose between the 2 of you. Why can’t I call you both_ buir?”

* * *

“Out of the mouths of _ikaad’e_ , huh?”

He poured Khal a generous serve of Silas’s moonshine and tossed his own back, absently thinking that his _vod_ had better come to his senses before he ran out.

Khal offered him a faint smile of thanks as they raised their glass, delicately taking a sniff of its contents, before…just as delicately setting it back down.

“Not quite to your tastes?”

“I…generally don’t imbibe,” Khal said slowly, “and certainly not something with such a high alcohol content.”

It was, Jaster knew, an entire lifetime of habits. But damn if it didn’t hurt the part of him that was _Mand’alor,_ that one of his own didn't feel safe within these walls, seated right beside him.

Khal winced, as if sensing the way his thoughts ran. “It isn’t personal, _‘Alor._ I just-.”

“I know,” he sighed, “you’ve done amazingly with the _ad’ika_.” Who was at once a curious blend of paranoia to rival his war-hardened _ori’ramikad’e_ and childish innocence.

“He didn’t grow up _Stewjoni’ad,”_ Khal reminded him. “I can tell him the words, but he won’t have the same experience. He won’t ever be like me.” Always, _always_ looking over their shoulder. And for that, Jaster was thankful.

“The _ad’ika_ already has enough to look out for, having been raised _Jetii,”_ Jaster muttered. He was almost certain Silas would get over himself, given time and exposure to the _ad’ika,_ but not everyone would be so easy to convince, especially the hold-outs in the Old Clans.

“That’s why you should do it,” Khal said abruptly.

“Do what?”

“The _gai bal manda,”_ they replied. “He could use the protection of the _Mand’alor. Alor’ad_ and Myles are already fond of him; he’ll be well cared for.”

“You’re _baar’ur,”_ Jaster pointed out, in case Khal suddenly had a lobotomy. “Do you honestly think anyone would be foolish enough to cross an _ad be baar’ur?”_ He shook his head. “If anything, my adopting him would just paint a target on his back. We didn’t pluck him out of one war to drop him right into another one.”

“The _ad’ika_ wouldn’t see it that way,” Khal said, but he could tell they were beginning to give ground.

“We both know it doesn’t matter how capable he is, _vod._ The _ad’ika_ needs time to rest and recover, and he won’t be able to do that if he has to keep an eye out for _Kyr’tsad_.”

Khal snorted in his face. “What _Kyr’tsad?_ You mean the scraps crying foul to Ahlora Wren? She’s as likely to punt them across a yard as you. Did you know she sat across a fire from Jlarn of the New Mandalorians? Because of the _ad’ike.”_

He raised his eyebrows. “Did she? That’s…surprising.”

“The power of _ad'e,”_ Khal said, a small curve on their lips.

No, he supposed, it wasn’t that surprising. Ahlora had answered the call, same as Jlarn, same as Journeyman Rhea Ly. That part of the _Resol’nare_ held true, at least.

“It’s a terrible thought, but the _ad’ike_ might have done more for peace on _Manda’yaim_ than I have my whole life. And we only brought one of them back with us.”

“The quantity hardly matters,” Khal said dryly.

“And no one could doubt his quality,” Jaster agreed, “he’s _mandokar_ to the core. A little too much, even; his _buir_ will need all the extra eyes they can spare.”

“And as _Mand’alor-.”_

He sighed heavily, cutting off Khal’s words. “I wish you wouldn’t do that. Being _Mand’alor_ is- an honour, but it does not make me any more worthy to be the _ad’ika’s buir_ than you. He trusts you. He could easily love you.”

“And I could say the same for you,” Khal returned.

He sighed again, taking a fortifying gulp of Silas’s moonshine. “It’s not common, but we don’t have to be _riduur'e_ to be the _ad’ika’s buir’e.”_

Khal stared at him. “You’re suggesting we…both offer for him, and then just. What, co-parent him as _vod?”_

“Or _verd,”_ Jaster shrugged. “You have to be comfortable with the level of our relationship, too.”

“You can’t do this,” Khal said flatly. “You’re already under so much scrutiny as _Mand’alor;_ you can’t do the _gai bal manda_ for an _ad_ with someone you barely even know!”

Jaster rolled his eyes. “So we _get_ to know one another on a more personal level, then. There’s no rush, and I already know what you’re like as _verd._ Besides, the scrutiny I’m under can get karked; _riduur’alor_ is a heavy ask of anyone.”

Khal choked on nothing - and then actually _went_ for the moonshine. They gagged at the taste but still seemed more stunned by him than anything else.

 _“Riduur’alor?_ That’s- you can’t offer me that just because of the _ad’ika!”_

Jaster frowned. “It’s hardly because of him. You’re an incredibly capable and compassionate person in your own right.”

Khal was still sputtering. “But you don’t even like me! And I’m twice your age!”

Jaster blinked slowly. It was true, he forgot about that second bit a lot of the time, but… “If anything, I thought those would be your reasons for refusing _me.”_

Khal flushed, which was a little unfortunate, since their pale skin hid nothing. It was a charming look on them, though. Jaster leant forward, enough to put his glass down, and stretched out his hand. Khal glanced down, but made no move to protest when he, ever so slowly, giving them every chance in the world to back out, twined a lock of their hair around his fingers.

Their hair felt soft, almost slippery. Khal’s face had darkened, casting those blue-green eyes of theirs into stark relief.

“You have to know you’re beautiful.”

Khal looked away.

“If not for the _ad’ika,_ I would never have said anything. You never asked for my attention, Khal, and you were hurting for a long time. When you took the _Cin Vhetin,_ swore the _Resol’nare_ to me _,_ as _Mand’alor_ I swore back to do what I could to protect you, even from myself.”

He paused for a moment to let that sink in. “And if you’re worried, that vow wasn’t made specially for you. I swear that for everyone who comes to me, and I keep it as much as I can.”

“I know,” Khal said slowly. “I know what kind of man you are.” They still hadn’t pulled away from his hand. “I wouldn’t have sworn to you otherwise.”

Jaster sent them a lopsided smile and sat back, letting their hair slide out of his fingers. He’d said his part; the ball was in Khal’s court, now.

They drew in a harsh breath. “Did you mean it,” they rasped, “when you called me-.”

Jaster couldn’t hold back his smile. “Do you remember,” he asked, “when you threw my _ad_ over your shoulder while he was bleeding through his flightsuit and still refused to get checked out?”

Khal stared, searching for the lie. “Since then?”

“I don’t want you to think I was hung up on you, or anything like that,” he had to say. “I'm just saying that was probably the first time I really registered my interest. I wasn’t- _mooning_ over you, I just thought you had to be something special to handle my _ad_ that way.

“But he listened to you, and more importantly, he kept coming back, and Myl’ika didn’t have to bribe him to go to the medics anymore, because he’d go straight to you.”

Khal looked embarrassed. “It wasn’t much-.”

“You got my _ad_ to trust you,” Jaster insisted, “and there was a time I would’ve sworn he couldn’t let himself trust anyone.”

“I- he’s a good _ad_ ,” Khal muttered.

Jaster gently grazed their skin with his knuckles. “I know he is. I’m glad you do, too.” He drew in a breath. “Forgive me if I’m being too forward, but - may I kiss you?”

Khal met his eyes, and then tipped up their head. _Ka’ra,_ they were beautiful.

Their first kiss was careful and dry. Khal shifted, and their hair spilt all over Jaster’s hand. The weight of it, the feel of it, the smell of it - it made this more real.

Slowly, he coaxed Khal into opening their mouth, into deepening the kiss. Khal made a sound, muffled between their lips.

When they did pull pull away, they didn’t go far, just enough to rest in _kov’nyn._

“I don’t know that I’ll ever want to carry children.”

Jaster started. “Khal, I literally just kissed you for the first time. Also, you’re 70; I don't think it would be safe if at all even possible. Also, correct me if I’m wrong, but we would already have 2 _ad’e,_ 3, if you’re counting Myles?” 

Khal looked like they were hiding a smile. “I just wanted to be clear.”

Well, in that case… “Technically, there’s enough Taung in me that _I_ could carry a child.”

Khal choked while Jaster snickered. “Bet that’s a response you don’t get every day.”

Khal was smiling outright, now, and they looked so beautiful. They dropped so brief a kiss on his lips that Jaster had to chase for another, and another.

He ended up with a laughing _cyar’ika_ in his arms, their hair spilling like starlight over them both. Jaster had to kiss them again.

“I’m not asking for promises,” he said lowly, “but could we- could we at least try?”

“Seeing as how I’m literally in your arms and we’ve been kissing,” Khal said dryly, “I think that’s a very definite yes.” They paused. “No promises,” they said, sounding almost apologetic, “but- I would like to try. I want to try.”

Jaster pressed another series of kisses to their sweet, sweet mouth.

“That’s how it’s going to be, is it?” Khal asked through the smiles and the kisses.

Just for that, Jaster had to kiss them yet again. “I’m not hearing any objections.”

Khal laughed, hooking their elbows over his neck to pull him down for a more thorough kiss. “No, you’re not.”


End file.
